Should Mike Tomlin Get That Customary Contract Extension?

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo thinks he will

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan)- It is well-known, or at least becoming so, that the Steelers have a traditional way in which they handle their head coaching contracts.

When there are two years left on the current deal, the Steelers customarily offer the head coach an extension so that there is never a point in which he has one or no years left on a contract heading into a season.

Mike Tomlin is at that point. He has two years left on his current deal and with the 9-6-1, no-playoff-appearance-disappointment this season, coupled with the constant drama surrounding the team of course, many are wondering...

Will Tomlin receive that contract extension this offseason? Should he?

Post-Gazette Steelers writer Ray Fittipaldo joined The Fan Morning Show on Wednesday to talk about many Steelers topics and Ray expects business as usual for the Steelers, meaning a contract extension will be offered.

"Yeah, I think so. I know there's been a lot of speculation about that but I don't think we're to the point where they want there to be one year left or no years left. I don't think you ever want to get in that situation where you have a lame duck coach. I think they'll extend him and if something goes really, really wrong of course they still have the option to make a move. I think we'll see Mike extended late July, early August once again."

Colin Dunlap and Chris Mack both believe that Tomlin should not be offered this extension. Both think that, by not recieving a new deal, it would send a message to Tomlin that things need to change. The message being that it can't be business as usual, that 9-6-1 and no playoffs is not good enough and that the drama needs to end.

Breaking out of that traditional mold of extending coaches would put the perfect amount of heat on Tomlin to shape up and do a better job with his team in 2019.

Fittipaldo also believes everything Mike Munchak had to say about leaving Pittsburgh, that it was strictly a family issue and nothing more.

Ray also gave us two names that interest him for the Steelers to draft this year.

"Let's say they do get a defensive back either in return for Antonio or they use a high pick on a defensive back. I was looking at the inside linebackers last night and there's two guys that jumped out at me right now. Devin Bush from Michigan, he's about 5'11' 235 (lbs), Jim Harbaugh says he's the fastest linebacker he's ever been around. A little bit undersized, but he's really good."

"The other one is Devin White from LSU. He's got the size and the speed. He's probably going to go higher, I've seen where he's a top 10, top 15 pick. We all know (Ryan) Shazier had that speed and they never really replaced that speed in the defense last year. I think both of them would be good picks but Devin White is probably the guy with the higher ceiling just because he has the height and a little bit more weight to go along with that speed."

You can listen to the entire interview with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo on The Fan Morning Show below.